About the Authors

Maria Leticia R. Ikeda

Affiliations Postgraduate Studies Program in Cardiology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 2°. andar, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, Hospital Sanatório Partenon, State Department of Health, Rio Grande do Sul. Av. Bento Gonçalves, 3722, Porto Alegre, RS 90650–001, Brazil

Nemora T. Barcellos

Affiliation Hospital Sanatório Partenon, State Department of Health, Rio Grande do Sul. Av. Bento Gonçalves, 3722, Porto Alegre, RS 90650–001, Brazil

Paulo R. Alencastro

Affiliation Hospital Sanatório Partenon, State Department of Health, Rio Grande do Sul. Av. Bento Gonçalves, 3722, Porto Alegre, RS 90650–001, Brazil

Fernando H. Wolff

Affiliation Postgraduate Program in Sciences in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2600, Porto Alegre, RS 90035–003, Brazil

Leila B. Moreira

Affiliation Postgraduate Studies Program in Cardiology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 2°. andar, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Miguel Gus

Affiliation Postgraduate Studies Program in Cardiology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 2°. andar, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Ajacio B. M. Brandão

Affiliation Postgraduate Program in Medicine-Hepatology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Flavio D. Fuchs

Affiliations Postgraduate Studies Program in Cardiology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 2°. andar, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, Cardiolody Division, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre. Centro de Pesquisa Clínica, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, RS 90035–003, Brazil

Sandra C. Fuchs

scfuchs@terra.com.br

Affiliation Postgraduate Studies Program in Cardiology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 2°. andar, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: SCF MLI NB PRA FHW ABMB. Performed the experiments: MLI NB PRA FHW. Analyzed the data: SCF MLI NB PRA FHW ABMB LBM MG FDF. Wrote the paper: SCF MLI NB PRA FHW ABMB LBM MG FDF.